Apparatus for refining butter, oils, fats, &amp;c.



PATENTED NOV. 27, 1906.

w. F JENSEN. APPARATUS FOR REPIMNG- BUTTER,- OILS, FATS, Aw

APPLICATION IILED AUG. 5, 1905.

Inventor WITZnesses IOv I \VIGGO F. JENSEN, OF LINCOLN, NEBRASKA.

APPARATUS FOR REFINING BUTTER, OILS, FATS, 800.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 27. 1906.

Application filed August 5. 1905. Serial No. 272,808.

To 111/. "'71 om it nm concern..-

Be it known that 1 \ViccO l JENSEN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident oi" t-he city of Lincoln, in the county oi Lancaster and State of Nebraska, have invented a new and useful improvement in Apparatus for Refining Butter, Oils, Fats, Lard, Liquids, and the Like, oi which thciollowing is a speciiication.

The invention relates to the aerator and to the apparatus for separating the objectionable gases from the matter under treatment.

Objects are to improve generally upon apparatus of nature described to provide an apparatus wherewith the refining may be done in less time than has been possible with apparatus herctol'ore used for this purpose; to provide an apparatus in which the pure air may be brought directly from the source of supply without passing through a blower; to provide an apparatus from which the im )ure air may be discharged at any suitable place, as out of doors and out of contact with the matter under treatment; to provide an apparatus in which the m attermay be subjected to a vacuum treatmcn't; to provide an apparatus in which the air and gases may be rarefied, so as to increase the tendency of the volatile impurities to volatilize; to provide an apparatus in which the air and gases may be rarefied, so as to increase the volatilization of the volatile impurities and in which a limited supply of pure air may be admitted at the same time.

( )ther objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists of the parts, improvements, and combinations particularly pointed out and claimed herein.

In the drawings accompanying and forming part oi this specii' ation and in the description thereof l illustrate the invention in its preferred iorm and show the best mode of applying the principles thereof; but it is to be understood that the invention itself is not couli ucd to these dranvings and the description of the drawings, that it may be applied. to other uses, and that parts and combinations thereof as specifically claimed and as separately claimed may be used in connection with other devices oi" like general nature, and that l contemplate changes in form, proportions, materials, arrangenwnt, the transposition of parts, and the substitution of equivalent members without departingfrom the spirit oi" the invention.

in the drawings I have illustrated an apparatus used for refining butter, although the same apparatus is obviously useful for aerating other substances as well.

Figure 1 represents a series of two aeratingtanks connected. to a common air-inlet pipe and also connected to a common exhaustpipe and suction-tan. ()no of the aeratingtanks A is shown in elevation and the other, B, in vertical central section. Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view of the aerating-tank, taken approximately through the line 2 2. Figs. 3 and 4 are sectional views of the air-valve.

Like rcfcrence-charaeters indicate like or corresponding parts tluoughout the several views.

I iirst build a suitable tank 1, the bottom of which is tapered down to the outlet-pipe 2, so that the contents of the bottom part thereof may be easily drawn oil. Outlet 2 has a valve 3. In the top of the tank is a rather large opening 4, on which is fitted a cover 5, having a glass 7. A washer 6 is provided in order that the cover may be iitted air-tight.

he liquid under treatment maybe brought into the can through the inlet-pipe 8, provided with a valve 9.

- The lower portion of the main tank is inclosed in a water-jacket 11), to which it may be secured by a number of braces 11 12 and. which may be provided with a band 13 and sustained on a suitable support 14. In practice 14 may be the iloor between two stories of a building.

15 and 16 are steam and cold-water pipes, respectively, and 17 is the overflow, whereby the ten'lpcrature of the water in the jacket may be regulated and whereby the temperature of the liquid under treatment in the main can may also be regulated. In treating buttcr-oil l prefer to maintain a temperature ol'- about 110 .l aln'enheit.

18 is an air-inlet pipe connected -with the main inlet-pipe 1!), which carries the pure air from a suitable source, such as taking it dircctly from out of doors, care being taken that the opening is located where it will not collect smoke, dust, or other impurities. The pipe 15 extends to the bottom of the can, where it is provided with a diaphragm 20, which has quite a large. number of small perforations 21 21, through which the pure air may pass into the liquid in the can. The

pipe 18 may be more iirmly secured by a number of stay-rods 22 I connected to the sides of the can.

23 is the exhaust-pipe, leading from the upper or air-chamber portion of the can to the main exhaust-pipe 24, which is connected to the exhaust or suction fan 25, from which the air is discharged, 26, at any suitable point.

; The discharge may be, and preferably 1s, out

of doors, Where the impure air cannot remain in contact with'the matter under treatment or ollute the air in the room in which the refining apparatus is installed. 1

Each pipe 23 may be provided with a valve 27 for regulating the exhaust from the several cans. A simple form of alve is illustrated in the drawmgs. A cylindrical casing 28 has openings 29 29, registering with the i e 23, and another opening 23 into the air. l V ithin the casing 28 isa smaller cylinder 30, adapted to be rotated within the outer casing. The inner cylinder has two openings 31 31- and a handle 31 for turning it. In one position openings 31 31 register with openings 29 29, respectively, whereby the air passes from the can to the main exhaust-pipe. In another position the two openings 31 31 register wit and 23, thuscutting off the exhaust from the tank. Obviously by turnin the handle the draft may be nicely regulate Thus the u per opening 29 may also be closed by 30, i desired, to cut off the exhaust from one tank without lessening the exhaust from the other taipks, &c.

The scharge-openings 21 21 should bear such relation to the exhaust that the air will not be admitted to the tanktoo freely. In other words, the purpose of the exhaust or suction fan is to rarefy the air in the tank to an actual and appreciable extent, and obviously this could not be done if the fresh air paratus the were admitted too freely.

In treating) butter with my improved aputter is preferably melted and allowed to stand and the solid impurities removed by precipitation-and skimming. The butter-oil is then pumped into the tank 1 through the inlet 8. I then prefer to subject the butter-oil to a thorough washing by forcing water at a tem erature of about 110 from a nozzle down t rough the 0 en port 4. I then allow the mixture to stan for a couple of hours and then draw off the water and sediment from the bottom through outlet 2 and valve 3. The butter-oil may, if desired; be again subjected to a washing, standing, and drawing off of the sediment and water as before. The valve 9 is closed, and the cover 5 is put in place, and the'tank is now air-tight, except for the inlet and exhaust 18 and 23, respectively. The valve 27 is turned to position shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The exhaust-fan 25 is operated.

Assuming the tank to be only partially say about halffilled with butter-oil, the effeet of the operation of the fan is to rarefy the air in the tank, and thus to reduce the openings 29 (to exhaustpipe 24) .paratus herein shownv and claimed.

pressure on the liquid itself, and the pure air from the inlet-pipes is forced into the tank by atmospheric pressure and of course passes up through the butteroil, the perforations 21 21 discharging .the air therethrough in small streams.

With former aerators where the aerating has been done b, forcing a blast of air under pressure through the liquid the impure air arising from the liquid is allowed to remain.

tilize.

I find in actual practice that where with former devices it has taken eight hours to purify or remove objectionable odors from a quantit of butter-oil I can do the same work wit my improved apparatus under exactly similar conditions in about four hours. a

To test the contents, the valve 27 should be opened, when the cover 5 may be removed and the presence of objectiona le odors de tected. When the contents are of the proper sweetness, they may be removed either through the outlet 2 or may be drawn out by a pipe extended down through the port 4 for v further treatment.

The interior of the tank is also accessible for cleaning through the port 4.

The tanks may be built of galvanized sheet metal with suitable castings and fittings and should be made air-tight, as well as substan tially made, so that the rarefication of the air within the tank will not cause the tank to cave in.

The process involving the use of my improved apparatus is the subject-matterof an application'for patent filed by me July 31, 1905, as Serial No. 271,912, which application also discloses but does not claim the ap- What I claim is 1' 1. In apparatus of the kind described; the combination of an air-tight tank having an inverted-cone-shaped bottom, an outlet-pipe at the lowest end and a valve therein;'an outlet-pipe leading from the upper part of said tank, and an exhausting device connected with said outletpipe;'an air-inlet pipe leading down through thetop and terminating at the bottom and there having a perforated diaphragm for discharging the inlet-air up through the liquid in the tank; the exhaust 1o tinuous blast of expanded pure 11g device and the inlet-eerie: such relation to each otheic operat'on of the ez'zimusmng 6 on V a, circulation ofithe iii?" 5 u'id, but also a, high and eppreeiebie a substance therein to e fur? accelerate the volatiiizetien 2. Ln apparatus of the kind is-scribed, tin? combination of an aiI tight tan having a, tepered bottom and en eui iet-pip A t the here:- end end 2, vaive therein; an en pipe ieaciing from the upper yart 0f the Liiilii, and an 7: device connected therewith; at; leading down through the tank am and there terminating in a pergaiirzigm, said perforations being rifled-sis to admit, during operation.

i1 le the tank; and a, glass-covered hep of the tank.

ieny whereof I have hereunto sub- 1 my name in the presence of witnesses.

WIGGO F. JENSEN.

smi'im exheusiing device, only a limited sup- 

